Door for freight-cars.



W. QUEENAN & C. FARWELL. noos for: mmm cms.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 9, |916- Patented Oct. 23,1917.

l@ Y Mm -illllilllll 4.

WILLIAM QUEENAN AND CHARLES FARWELL, OF AURORA,'ILLINOIS. I

DOOR FOR FREIGHT-CARS.

Specification of Letterslatent.

Patenten oet. as, Tait;

Original application iled March 6, 1916, Serial No. 82,420. Divided and this application filed October 9,

1916.v Serial No. 124,513.

To all whom it 'may concern:

Be it known that we, WILLIAM QUEENAN and CHARLES F ARWELL, citizens of th'eUnited States, and residents of Aurora, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Doors for Freight-Cars, of vwhich the following is a description, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of our specification.`

Our invention relates more particularly to grain doors for railway cars; having for its object the provision of a moisture or stormproof, as well as a grain-tight construction.

A further object of our invention is to provide a releasing or unloadingdoor-section, operable independently of the main door and so arranged as not to interfere with the main door, nor with the use of the car for shipment of other commodities when desired. y

The invention contemplates a `construction which may be used in connection with the present type of freight car, whether of wood orsteel construction; permitting the main door to be mounted and operated in the usual sliding manner; the purposes and advantages of the invention being more readily apparent from vthe following 'detailed description of the drawings, wherein Figure 1 is a side grainreleasing door-section shown in closed position.

Fig. 2 is a sectional view, shown in perspective, and taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of thearrows.

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional View, taken on line 3 3 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows. i

Fig. 4 is a perspective View, taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is a sectionalI view, taken on the line 5 5 of Fig..-1, looking in the direction of the arrows.

F ig.l6 is a sectional view similar to 5, with the grain or releasing door-section shown 1n open pos1t1on.y

In the exemplication of the invention, as" l` illustrated in the drawings, our improved grain-door is shown applied -to a freight'car elevation of the lowerl part of the main car-door with our improved` of wood construction, wherein the main door 10 may be supported by suitable hangers adapting the door to beslid along the carside on a suitable overhanging track or bar. The lower part ofthe door 10 is shown provided witha steel "or, metallic plate 11, extending full width of the door and bent inwardly beneath the door, with the lower edgev of the plate disposed in the vertical direction, as shown at 12 in Fig. 4.

Secured to theside sill 13 of the car underframe, by means 'of suitable bolts and in spaced relation with the side sill, is an angle iron or beam 14 having one leg or portion presented upwardly and into close relation with the depending edge 12 of the door-plate'll; while the other leg or portion lof the beam 14 is vpresented outwardly away from the car side. The beam or angle iron 14 is secured vto theside sill of the car underframeand maintained in its spaced ree lation theretoby meansof suitable blocks, as at 15 in Fig. 2, through which the sustaining bolts 16 pass. The rear end or sideof they door 10 is shown provided with a metallic plate17, more clearlyshown in- Fig. 4, of special construction and extending preferably the full height of the door. The plate 1 7 is somewhat in the4 nature vof a channel in cross section, as lshown in Figs. 5 and 6; the lower end ofthe plate 17 being bent so as tooverlap the main portion of plate 11 and arrangedto depend somewhat beneathy the lower endof the door 10, thereby over-l lapping theendk of the angle-iron or beam 14."l The inner face ,of the channel memberor Yplate 17, at the lower end thereof, is

shown provided with the zig-zag or stepped rib 18 adapted to fit into a notch or slot formed in the end of the beam 14, as shown in dottedlines in Figs. 5 and 6. The rib 18V The side sill 13 is shown provided with a stop-bar or strip. 19 eXtending the full length of the door-opening lat-'a pointjust beneath the 4thresholdgthe uppened/ge of,`

the strip being'shown beveled, see Fig. 4, in

2 Lessors order t properly shed the grain and at the same time provide greater space for the passage of the grain. Thcstrip'19 is provided with suitable apertures to receive the pins or lugs with which the blocks are provided adjacent their lower sides and as indicated in dotted lines at in Fig. V2i

the purpose ofthe pins or lugs 20 being to y prevent the blocks 15 turning on the securing bolts 16.

The grain-releasing door-section, as illustrated in the drawings, comprises a plate or member 21 which extends substantially the full length of the main door opening and is of a Width somewhat greater than the distance between the bar or strip 19 and the beamr 14, so that when the plate or member 21 is in the horizontally7 disposed position, which is the closed position, it will overlap or rather extend beneath the beam 1st and the bar or strip 19, as very clearly shown in Fig-(4f. y

rllhe plate or member 21 is preferably in the4 nature of a metal sheetr provided with a. reinforcing member or angle-iron 22 riveted or otherwise secured thereto and extending lengthwise thereof. e

. The ends of the member or plate 21 are provided` with hinge members 23, secured adjacent the outer longitudinal edge so as to bring the pivoted point slightly beyond and beneath the outer edge of plate 21, as shown in Figs. 4, 5 Vand 6. The hinge-inembers 28 (one at each end of plate 21, see Fig. 1) are adapted to coperate with hingemembers 24, shown and secured to the ends and lower surface of the beam 1-1; the hingemember 2d being shown adapted to receive the pintles or trunnions of the members 23.

lith the hinge-'members secured adja-l centthe outer longitudinal edge of member 21, the'latter is allowed to swing downwardly into the'position shown in 6,

substantially in 'the Same vertical plane the beam 14, and thereby provide a clear opening or passage for the outward flowl of grain lying adjacent the main door.`

` The inner longitudinal edge of member 21 is supported in closed or horizontal position by the supporting member or bar 25, shownV in the'nature of an angle iron and disposed lengthwise of member 21 so as to provide proper support therefor and maintain the member 21 in close contact Awith the under side ofthe strip or bar19. l

The supportinginiember or bar 25 is pivotally supported by means of links 26 which are pivotally mounted on suitable bolts 27 .secured to the side sill or to the side of the underfraine of the car; the bolts 2,7 being of such construction as to permit free swingingn movement of `Vlinks 26..`

l'ln they `illustration of ourinvention, it is shown applied to a car ofiwood construction,

and fortliat reason-,the side sill 13AispreferifA ably provided with a metallic plate 28 eX- tending the full length of the door-opening and insuring a smooth working surface for the oscillatingly mounted supporting bar 25 and the links lt will be understood, of course, that where the car and underframe are of metallic construction, the additional plate 28 may be eliminated.

l At a point preferably intermediate of the links 25, the/,supporting bar is provided with an operating' lever 29, more clearly shown Vin Fig. r)The operating lever 29 is pivotally secured at its upper end to the supporting bar-25 and at an intermediate point on the bolt 30 secured to the car underframe or side sill. 'Y

rllhe upper ends of the links 2G and operating lever 29 may have any suitable pivotal connection with the supporting bar 25 as, for example, by means of' pins 31, so as to permit of proper movement of the supportingbar 25 relative to the links and operating lever. f

The operating lever 29 is shown as preferably extending a suflicient distance beneath the side sill' or car underframe so as to enable easy operation thereof; and the lever is shown provided with a bracket or lug '32 formed so as to extend slightly to one side of the lever, in order that the bracket or lug may be brought into alinement with the keeper 33 securedto the side sill in anysuitable manner.' The keeper 33 and bracket- 32 are provided with correlated openings adaptedto receive the sealain 84 attached to the car underfi'aine by means of a suitable chain ogthe lower end. of the seal-pin 34 being provided with a suitable openingto receive the lusiial.- sealing wire or means einployed inrailroad practice.

As is evident from the construction shown and described, the supporting bar or memedge of plate or member 21 will be unsup portedy and therefore caused to swing on its hinges or pivotal.' points 23, 24,'whic`h Ywill release the grain supported thereby and lofcated adjacent the .main door opening. .e Y

intermediate ofthe beam 14 and the side sill, towit at'a pointbeneath the door open-vv ing and at the side thereof, we prefer, to provide filler blocks, as shown at d6/see Fig. l2, lhaving upper beveled ends so as tQ properly shed discharged'.l

the grain while it is, being flits/ends 0f the; ,flovffsetier Q1" member" Q1 and its hinges are preferably made to extend slightly beneath the filler blocks 36 in -order thatv grain-tight points may be` provided. Y

`With our improved construction, the releasing door or member 21 Vwill permit the grain to. be discharged from the car until a sufficientV quantity has been released to relieve the pressure against the main door and permit opening thereof.

rlhe releasing door or element, as shown in the drawings, is so located with reference to the main door opening as to in no way interfere with the use of the car for shipment of other commodities, during which time the releasing door or element may be left in raised or closed position where it will be out of the way and protected against injury. As is evident from the construction shown and described, a grain-tight relation between the releasing door-section and the main door is providedand also a weather or moisture-proof construction obtained, because the outwardly presented leg of the beam 14 will shed rain and the like and prevent it entering thejoint or connection between the releasing` door and the lower face of the beam. In order that the section 21 may be readily returned to closed position, we show it, or rather the reinforcing member 22, secured thereto, provided with a handle as at 37 in Fig. 1.

Ve have shown and described what we believe to be the simplest and best form of the invention, but it will be understood that the same may be varied in certain details of construction without, however, departing from the spirit of our invention.

vWhat we claim is z- 1. n combination with a` freight-car door slidably mounted on the car side with the lower part of the door in spaced relation with the threshold of the door-opening, means mounted beneath the door-opening on the car side in spaced relation therewith and having lappingengagement with the bottom of the door, and movable means for closing the space between said first mentioned means and the car side.

9.. In combination with a freight-car door arranged to provide space intermediate of the threshold of the door-opening and the door when the latter is in closed position, means mounted beneath the dooropening in spaced relation with the car side and having lapping engagement with the lower end of the door, and movable means adapted to provide a closure for the space between the first mentioned means and the car side whereby grain and the like may be discharged while the door is in closed position.

3. In combination with a main car door arranged to provide space intermediate of the threshold of the door-opening and the door when the latter is in vclosed position, the lower end of they door being provided with a depending flange coextensive with the door, a fixed member, with whichlsaid flange has lapping engagement, arranged in spaced relation with the car side beneath the door-opening, and a releasing member pivot-ally mounted beneath said fixed member so as to swing into a horizontal position intermediate of the fixed member and the car-side. v v

4L. A freight-car door, the lower end whereof is spaced from the threshold ofthe door-opening, and means secured in spaced relation with the car side and in -lapping re-v lation with the bottoml of said door so yasvto close the space betweenv the y-door and the threshold, a portion of said means being arranged toswing downwardly and to' permit the discharge of grain through said space while the car door is in closed position.

5. Jerdoor of the class describedmounted so as to. provide space intermediate of the threshold of the door-opening and the-door, and a section provided with horizontally disposed pivots so as to swing lvertically into substantially horizontal position and provide a closure for the space intermediate of the door and the car whereby grain and the like may be discharged while the door is in closed position.

6. n combination with a freight-car door slidably mounted on the car side so as to .provide spaced relation between the door and the threshold of the door-opening, means fiXedly mounted beneath the door and in spaced relation with the car side, said means having lapping relation with the lower end of the door and provided with a moisture-shedding surface, and closure means movably mounted beneath said first mentioned means for closing the space between the rst mentioned means and the car side or to permit discharge of grain while the door is in closed position.

7. In combination with a freight-car door mounted on the car side so as to provide spaced relation between the door and the threshold of the door-opening, means mounted beneath the door-opening and in spaced relation with the car side and having lapping engagement with the bottom of the door so as to provide a moisture-proof connection', means pivotally mounted beneath the first mentioned means and adapted to provide a closure for the space interme diate of the first mentioned means and the car side whereby discharge from the car may be effected with the door in closed position, and means for supporting the moving portion of said closure means in closed position.

8. In combination with a freight-car door mounted so as to provide space between the door and the threshold of the doorbpening,

a member secured in spaced relation with the car-side and beneath the door, a re leasing member pivotally secured to said first member so as to swing vertically beneath the latter when in open position, said releasing member being adapted to swing into horizontal position and thereby close the space between the door and threshold, and means pivotally secured to the car for maintaining said section in horizontal closed position.

9. in combination with a freight-car door slidably mounted l n the car side so as to provide a space intermediate of the lower end of the door and the threshold of the door-opening, a member iiXedly mounted on the car side in spaced relation therewith and in lapping engagement with the lower end of the door, said member being provided with an outwardly presented weather-shedding surface, a releasing door-section pivotally mounted on the under side of said member so as to swing into vertical alinement therewith when in open position, and means for maintaining said releasing doorsection in closed position.

l0. In combination with a door slidably mounted on the car-side so as to provide space between the lower end oi1 the door and the threshold of the door-opening, a member mounted in spaced relation with the car-side beneath the door-opening and in naa/rote lapping engagement with the door, a second member pivotally mounted beneath said irst member so as to swing into horizontal position to close the space intermediate of the lirst member and the car-side and operable independently of the main door, an element osciilatingly mounted on the car-side and adapted to support the free side of saidY second member in horizontal closed position, and means whereby said element may be locked in place and movement of the second member prevented.

1i. ln combinationV with a freight-car door slidably mounted on the car side so as to provide space intermediate of the door and the threshold of the door-opening, a member liXedly secured beneath the door and in spaced relation with the car side so as to provide an intervening passage, means secured to the door and `arranged to have lapping engagement with said member so as to provide moisture-proof and graintight connections, a releasing door-section' pivotally secured to said member so as to swing vertically, and means secured to the car side and adapted to maintain said doorsection in closed position.

WILLIAM QUEENAN. CHAR-LES FARVVELL. l/Vitnesses:

JOHN ADAM,- y FRANK E. Sronnn.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

